Dispenser for a washing machine

ABSTRACT

A dispenser for a washing machine includes: at least one dispensing channel for dispensing a liquid into a chamber of the dispenser, the at least one dispensing channel having an inlet opening, an outlet opening, a reducer for reducing a cross section of the at least one dispensing channel arranged between the inlet opening and the outlet opening, and a ventilation opening for pressure equalization arranged between the reducer and the outlet opening.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATION

Priority is claimed to German Patent Application No. DE 10 2017 121883.1, filed on Sep. 21, 2017, the entire disclosure of which is herebyincorporated by reference herein.

FIELD

The invention relates to a dispenser for a washing machine.

BACKGROUND

In order to reduce the amount of water in a softener channel or capsulechannel of a dispenser, the relevant channel can have a varying crosssection. Adjusting the required amount of water can be very complex,depending on the size of the channel component.

SUMMARY

In an embodiment, the present invention provides a dispenser for awashing machine, comprising: at least one dispensing channel configuredto dispense a liquid into a chamber of the dispenser, the at least onedispensing channel having an inlet opening, an outlet opening, a reducerconfigured to reduce a cross section of the at least one dispensingchannel arranged between the inlet opening and the outlet opening, and aventilation opening for pressure equalization arranged between thereducer and the outlet opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described in even greater detail belowbased on the exemplary figures. The invention is not limited to theexemplary embodiments. Other features and advantages of variousembodiments of the present invention will become apparent by reading thefollowing detailed description with reference to the attached drawingswhich illustrate the following:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a channel for a capsule-flushingprocess in a washing machine;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a channel for a chlorine-flushing processin a washing machine; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a portion of a dispenser according to oneembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In light of the above, the present invention provides an improveddispenser for a washing machine.

The invention offers the advantage that, by using a reducer incombination with a ventilation opening, laundry treatment agents can beflushed out of a dispenser of a washing machine using a constant amountof water. Furthermore, the amount of water can be adjusted according torequirements in a simple manner by using differently shaped reducers.

A dispenser for a washing machine is proposed, the dispenser comprisingthe following feature:

at least one dispensing channel for dispensing a liquid into a chamberof the dispenser, the dispensing channel having an inlet opening, anoutlet opening, a reducer for reducing a cross section of the dispensingchannel arranged between the inlet opening and the outlet opening, and aventilation opening for pressure equalization arranged between thereducer and the outlet opening.

A dispenser can be understood to mean a detergent dispenser comprising apre-wash, main wash or softener compartment as chambers, for example.The washing machine can also be a washer-dryer. The liquid may be wateror suds, for example. The outlet opening can lead into the chamber. Areducer can be understood to mean a discoid or strut-shaped element, forexample. A ventilation opening can be understood to mean an opening thatallows the dispensing channel to be fluidically coupled to surroundingsof the dispensing channel.

According to one embodiment, when the liquid is dispensed, theventilation opening can be arranged in the region of a zone shelteredfrom the flow by the reducer. A region of a zone sheltered from the flowcan be understood to mean a region behind the reducer which faces theoutlet opening. In this way, pressure differences in the dispensingchannel can be prevented particularly efficiently.

It is also advantageous when the reducer is arranged in the region of alargest cross section of the dispensing channel. In this way, thecross-sectional narrowing achieved by means of the reducer can bechanged, according to the dimensions of the reducer, over as large aregion as possible.

According to another embodiment, the dispenser can comprise at least onedirty suds water channel for branching off dirty suds water. The dirtysuds water channel can branch off from the dispensing channel at abranch-off point located between the reducer and the inlet opening. Avolumetric flow of liquid that passes through the outlet opening is thussignificantly smaller than a volumetric flow of liquid that passesthrough the inlet opening.

It is also advantageous when the reducer forms a wall portion of thedirty suds water channel. The structure of the dispenser can thus besimplified.

According to another embodiment, a cross section of the dirty suds waterchannel can be larger than a largest cross section of the dispensingchannel, or, additionally or alternatively, than a cross-sectionalnarrowing of the dispensing channel formed by the reducer. Reliablefunctioning of the dispensing channel can thus be ensured.

In particular, the dispensing channel and the dirty suds water channelcan be oriented perpendicularly with respect to one another. Thestructure of the dispenser can also be simplified by this embodiment.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a channel 100 for a capsule-flushingprocess in a washing machine. The channel 100 has a cross-sectionalnarrowing 102 in order to reduce an amount of water flowing through thechannel 100. A flow direction of the water is denoted by four arrows.Reference sign 104 denotes the reduced amount of water for the flushingprocess. Branched-off dirty suds water is denoted by reference sign 106.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a channel 200 for a chlorine-flushingprocess in a washing machine. In contrast to FIG. 1, the channel 200comprises a reducer 202 for producing a cross-sectional narrowing 204.As in FIG. 1, the cross-sectional narrowing 204 reduces the amount ofwater flowing through the channel 200, the flow direction of which wateris again denoted by four arrows. As can be seen in FIG. 2, a vacuum isformed in the zone sheltered from the flow by the reducer 202 at a point206. Dirty suds water branched off from the channel 200 is denoted byreference sign 208. The reduced amount of water required for theflushing process is denoted by reference sign 210.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a portion of a dispenser 300 according toone embodiment. The dispenser 300 for a washing machine comprises adispensing channel 302 for dispensing a liquid 304, for example water orsuds, into a chamber of the dispenser 300, for example into a main wash,pre-wash or detergent compartment. Similarly to the channel describedabove with reference to FIG. 2, the dispensing channel 302 comprises areducer 306 for producing a cross-sectional narrowing 308 by means ofwhich the amount of liquid flowing through the dispensing channel 302 isreduced. A flow direction of the liquid 304 is denoted by fourhorizontal arrows.

The reducer 306 is arranged between an inlet opening 310 for letting inthe liquid 304 and an outlet opening 312. The outlet opening 312discharges the liquid 304, more precisely an amount of liquid 314reduced by the reducer 306, into the chamber in order to flush saidchamber. In contrast to FIG. 2, however, the dispensing channel 302comprises a ventilation opening 316 for pressure equalization withsurroundings of the dispensing channel 302. It is particularlyadvantageous when the ventilation opening 316 is arranged, as shown inFIG. 3, in the region of a zone sheltered from the flow by the reducer306, i.e. adjacently to a side of the reducer 306 which faces the outletopening 312. Pressure fluctuations can thus be reliably equalized.

The dispenser 300 additionally comprises a dirty suds water channel 320for branching off dirty suds water 322, which channel branches off fromthe dispensing channel 302 at a branch-off point 324 located between thereducer 306 and the inlet opening 310. By way of example, a crosssection of the dirty suds water channel 320 is larger than a largestcross section of the dispensing channel 302 and is several times largerthan the cross-sectional narrowing 308.

According to one embodiment, the reducer 306 is positioned in a portionof the dispensing channel 302 that represents the largest cross sectionof the dispensing channel 302.

According to another embodiment, the reducer 306 forms a wall portion ofthe dirty suds water channel 320.

By way of example, the two channels 302, 320 in FIG. 3 are orientedsubstantially perpendicularly with respect to one another.Alternatively, the two channels 302, 320 can also be oriented at anydesired angle with respect to one another.

The ventilation opening 316 behind the reducer 306 in the water route,for example in a pre-wash channel, makes it possible to reduce a suctioneffect. For example, the dispenser 300 is designed to dispense chlorinebleach via a pre-wash compartment. In this case, the cross-sectionalnarrowing 308 is for example designed such that the amount of waterintroduced into the pre-wash compartment is reduced to 5 L/min. By usingthe reducer 306 in combination with the downstream ventilation opening316, a defined reduction in the amount of water over a free flow pathcan take place without fluctuating amounts of water. The dispensingchannel 302 is integrated in a cover of the dispenser 300, for example.

The ventilation opening 316 has the function of preventing unequalpressure ratios in the dispensing channel 302 between the free flow pathand the nozzles. This prevents, for example, first 5 L/min, and then 7L/min, depending on the pressure difference, being conducted into thepre-wash compartment. In the absence of the ventilation opening 316, asporadically occurring vacuum would cause water that should actually becut off to be suctioned in downstream of the reducer 306. If too muchwater enters the pre-wash compartment, the pre-wash compartment willoverflow and the suds can leak out of the front of the washing machine.Positioning the ventilation opening 316 downstream of the reducer 306allows the occurrence of a vacuum to be reliably prevented. Therefore,no more additional water can be suctioned in. The amount of waterdefined by the cross-sectional narrowing 308 is constant. For example,it can thus be ensured that only a constant and reproducible specifiedamount of water, e.g. 5 L/min, is let into the pre-wash compartment, andthat the pre-wash compartment does not overflow towards the front.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in thedrawings and foregoing description, such illustration and descriptionare to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive. Itwill be understood that changes and modifications may be made by thoseof ordinary skill within the scope of the following claims. Inparticular, the present invention covers further embodiments with anycombination of features from different embodiments described above andbelow. Additionally, statements made herein characterizing the inventionrefer to an embodiment of the invention and not necessarily allembodiments.

The terms used in the claims should be construed to have the broadestreasonable interpretation consistent with the foregoing description. Forexample, the use of the article “a” or “the” in introducing an elementshould not be interpreted as being exclusive of a plurality of elements.Likewise, the recitation of “or” should be interpreted as beinginclusive, such that the recitation of “A or B” is not exclusive of “Aand B,” unless it is clear from the context or the foregoing descriptionthat only one of A and B is intended. Further, the recitation of “atleast one of A, B and C” should be interpreted as one or more of a groupof elements consisting of A, B and C, and should not be interpreted asrequiring at least one of each of the listed elements A, B and C,regardless of whether A, B and C are related as categories or otherwise.Moreover, the recitation of “A, B and/or C” or “at least one of A, B orC” should be interpreted as including any singular entity from thelisted elements, e.g., A, any subset from the listed elements, e.g., Aand B, or the entire list of elements A, B and C.

What is claimed is:
 1. A dispenser for a washing machine, comprising: atleast one dispensing channel configured to dispense a liquid into achamber of the dispenser, the at least one dispensing channel having aninlet opening, an outlet opening, a reducer configured to reduce a crosssection of the at least one dispensing channel arranged between theinlet opening and the outlet opening, and a ventilation opening forpressure equalization arranged between the reducer and the outletopening.
 2. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein, when the liquidis dispensed, the ventilation opening is arranged in a region of a zonesheltered from a flow of the liquid by the reducer.
 3. The dispenseraccording to claim 1, wherein the reducer is arranged in a region of alargest cross section of the at least one dispensing channel.
 4. Thedispenser according to claim 1, further comprising at least one dirtysuds water channel configured to branch off dirty suds water, whereinthe at least one dirty suds water channel branches off from the at leastone dispensing channel at a branch-off point located between the reducerand the inlet opening.
 5. The dispenser according to claim 4, whereinthe reducer forms a wall portion of the at least one dirty suds waterchannel.
 6. The dispenser according to claim 4, wherein a cross sectionof the at least one dirty suds water channel is larger than a largestcross section of the at least one dispensing channel and/or than across-sectional narrowing of the at least one dispensing channel formedby the reducer.
 7. The dispenser according to claim 4, wherein the atleast one dispensing channel and the at least one dirty suds waterchannel are arranged perpendicularly with respect to one another.